Katie Hammel

In the pastoral region of Speyside in northeast Scotland, whisky is everywhere. Vast, blond fields of barley stretch under open skies. Wooden whisky barrels sit stacked behind low stone warehouses. Whisky bars and bottle shops line the streets, the signature pagoda-shaped chimneys where malt is roasted peek above the green hillsides, and the sweet smell of fermenting barley fills the air.

In the last decade, visitor numbers to Iceland have grown by 500 per cent as appearances on Game of Thrones have spread news of the wonders of this isolated island nation, which is home to otherworldly landscapes, steaming hot springs and waterfalls around every turn. That boom in visitors has also led to a boom in hotels, with plenty of comfortable, stylish options at a variety of price points.
Here are the top hotels in Reykjavik.

Arguably the most famous wine region in the West, Napa Valley is also one of the most expensive. A trip to the wine country is all about experiencing the good life—fine wine, creative cuisine, beautiful scenery, and a relaxed pace—and while that good life can come with a high price, traveling with limited funds doesn’t have to mean missing out on this exquisite corner of California.

If Iceland were to have a national slogan, it would be ‘þetta reddast’, which roughly translates to the idea that everything will work out all right in the end.

It all started on Sunday, October 8, when a spark in Northern California quickly evolved into some of the deadliest wildfires in state history. They spread through Napa Valley, consuming whole towns in Sonoma, Mendocino, and Yuba counties; the latest estimate from Cal Fire, the state's firefighting agency, puts the death toll at 42 across the state. An estimated 8,400 buildings have been destroyed; 245,000 acres scorched; and more than 100,000 California residents were forced to evacuate.
The...

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A windswept country devoid of trees, where the summers are short and the winters are long and dark — Iceland doesn’t exactly sound like a paradise for culinary travelers. And the truth is, the country has never been thought of as a great foodie destination. For centuries, people had to get by with a limited amount of produce, whatever fish they could pull from the sea, and lamb. Lots of lamb.

Tucked away in northwest Italy, about 120 miles from the Swiss border as the crow flies, the region of Piedmont (Piemonte in Italian) is home to one of the boot’s most prolific wine producing areas, the Langhe.

Once known as La Belle Endormie (Sleeping Beauty), Bordeaux — and the wine region that surrounds it — has fully awoken.

Like many Nordic countries, Iceland is pricey. But there's one major draw for budget travelers: Many of the country's most spectacular natural attractions are free. Here are 10 awe-inspiring sights in Iceland that you won’t spend a single króna to enjoy.

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